IFA 2014: Sony Xperia Z3 could be the first audiophile smartphone

Sony has taken the wraps off its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z3, at IFA 2014 – and we're all ears.

Literally; the Xperia Z3 plays nice with Sony's High-Res Audio headphones, using the company's DSEE HX technology to upscale your MP3 and AAC files to "near High-Resolution quality." Hi-Res audio is a bit of a niche concern at the moment, but it's set to grow in importance now that with record labels have locked down a definition of what the term means.

As with previous Xperia flagships, Sony's focused on making the Z3 a multimedia powerhouse; although you don't get a 2K screen, the phone packs a 5.2in Full HD display with Triluminos tech for a wider colour gamut – employed to great effect on the Z2.

Front-facing stereo speakers mean that you can watch movies without resorting to headphones – though if you want to avoid annoying fellow bus passengers, you can don Sony's own MDR-NC31EM headphones; they pack active noise cancellation that's powered by the Xperia Z3, sparing you from having to carry a battery around with you.

The Z3's also capable of streaming PS4 games, Vita-style, using Sony's Remote Play tech; you can hook up a DualShock 4 gamepad to Sony's GCM10 Game Control Mount to turn your smartphone into a mini games console. It's worth noting, though, that it'll only work over your home Wi-Fi; you can put paid to thoughts of streaming PS4 games while you're on your morning commute.

Pricing and availability have yet to be revealed; we'll update our preview with details as they come in.